Thermostatic valve



July 8, 1952 H. 'roMosER 2,602,592

1 THh'sRn/IoslzlvrIC VALVE Filed June 12, 1948 7 g :E INVENToR ATTORNEYS Patented July 8, 1952 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE www THEEMQSTATIG# Etrttrtgmosert Kttmm 11E.: Application June .1 2i 1948',v Serial. No. 32,6661

This invention reltttrfsv t9' theivttlve, tuft Y @havens end wan gp espeiallvto thethermostatmvalve item1-wm It "Il "fhvll/ i; vt" 1@ the openingY and closing movements Qi tht Italy@ 'A are regulated or 'antyolled by tlglferzttqstti means. En the prior art the Valvga I xatgbeexg positively seated against further Whe a closed ppitQn, ,and wnseqtlntlv high rt@ peratures will tend grqp the; delicate p TUI 'ppevg'lvegeat is s 3 will move the valving member for a greater extent into the seat whereupon a greater external surface area of the seat forming flange will be acted upon by the inlet fluid pressure to insure a flow arresting seal. A reduction in the temperature will enable the spring I3 to withdraw the Valve accordingly from its embracing seat.

Should the valve seat wear at its inner end, means are provided to adjust the valve to seat normallyfurther Avintheflange on a new active, portion of the latter but without altering the setting of the thermostat. To this end the thermostat and valve unit (i, 5, t) is slidably supported, as by having the sleeve bearing 2 'slidablei within a fixed bearing i9 on a suitable-supporting structure 2B. The unit may thereforeb'e 'adjusted relative to its seat by suitable means", such as by" an adjusting screw 2i which bears upon.a pad 22 xed to the end wall and is threaded through a nut 23 on a protective housing 2t which encloses the unit, vsuoli housing being suitablynattached-to the wall structure 2`l,-as by r-lugs 25 clinched thereon.` By turning the screw in its nut 23 the thermostatic valve unit' will be' adjusted toward or from the valve seat withoutaffecting the' sensitivity of the thermostatic control or its spring i3. The embodiment shown inQFig. 1 utilizes the screwthrust for'imparting unitrnovement toward theseat andrelies upon a second spring 26 to return the unit away from its seat under the control of the 4screw when turned out-- Wardlyin its nut 23. This second spring bears upon the outersurface of the end wall Band also upon the 'opposing surface of the supportingv structure 2] and obviously has noeect upon the thermostatic adjustment of the valve. However, the screw adjustment enables properinitial placement of the valve with respect to its seat as well as adjustment l ofL the valve to new settings for differing thermal conditions. As above stated, this adjustment also enables the repair adjustmentfof the valve necessitated by possible wear of thennerportion or portions ofthe seat. By reason-A of the' sliding contact of the valve upon its' seat,'fluctuations in the temperature will cause the thermostat to move th'egvalve freely back and forth on its seat whileretaining the Vvalve in a closed position. u v Y y'The'valve Aseat may constitute the inner flange, of j a channeledwasher; as illustrated inA Fig. 1, with the circular channel 2l of the washerfacing the inlet opening to receive the inlet fluid pressure" for acting inwardly on the inner ila-nge and outwardly on the' outer'iiange to seal the'l assemblage against leakage.A The *outer* flange 28 ofV the channeled washer will seat at litstfree end uponr the'shoulder I4 where'jitis retained bysuitable means. v This valveseat arrangement formsthei subject matter of Patent Nro.`2,509,65 6.' In the` illustrated embodiment the channeled washer is 6 backed by a flat weargplate'or'ring-EB onv which seatsone end of aspacer sleeve 3Q withinthe valve chamber, the opposite end' of the spacer being received within the channel of Aa s econd'channeled washer 3| serving asa packing gland-l about the valve stem. 4A groove li may be formedinthej inner face of the packing to hold a lubricant forj easing the slidingl lofthe stem therethrough. They valve chamber may be of .any externalV form and is suitably anchored tothe support as by means oftheclinchedlugs 32'. l Y K' Y.

Or the valveseat maybek inthe form ofthe circular flange 'I8' which vhas, a simple peripheral flange 33 extending outwardlytherefronr torestj upon the shoulder' lll"`where 'it 'is clampedA` in acoaoc position fluid tight by the spacer sleeves 3e and 34. Under extreme pressures the free end of the ange may be given reinforcement against collapsing over the valving part, as when the valve 5 is being opened and the fluid rushes through the seat opening. This reinforcement may be in the form of a simple bead or rim 35, Fig. 2, formed about the free end of the flange, or, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, ay wire ring 35 may be embedded in the free end' of the seat forming flange'. This ring may be split, as at 3l, for opening up to permit through passage of the valve, as shown by the broken line position @f5 man exaggerated position, in the presence of an abnormally high temperature.

Anysuitable thermostatic control may be employed. In'casesxof extreme temperatures the thermostatic chamber 8 may be connected to a bulb, not shown, through ,a tube 36. The thermal responsive member may be solid, fluid, or a blmetal strip 39, Fig. 2, may-be employed'and be connected to the valve I' by a suitableconne tion lill.` The valve l' is guided in the bearing 2, as in lFig. 1, while the springV chamber is sealed against fluid passagevthereinto by means of a corrugated shield 3l fastened at one end to the valve and at its opposite end to the spacer Adjustment of the thermostatic valve unit may'v be accomplished by any suitable means other than 30' the screw l For example, a remote control adjustment is shown in Fig. 2` wherein 'a wire or the 'bearing 19a, the thermostaticlvalve u'nit (l.` 5a, 9) will advance toward or retract from the valve seat as the valve slides through the bearing support. The extentv of valve adjustment may be i determined by suitable means, such asl the casing carried dial graduations Maand a cooperatingfixedl pointer 46, suitable-stop meansV 41 beingr arranged to engage the pointerfor limiting the I degree of rotary movement of the casing. In this embodiment the casing is merely grasped by the hand to thread the stem 2a further on to or ofi offth'e bearing' maior accordingly vadjusting the position of the valve- I -with respect to its I, seat, which latter may be identical with those ydepicted inthe otherV illustrations on the-drawmg.VV In lieu of the thermostatic v'alving member, thef'valve seat may be so reg- M ulated. Or, viewing it from another angle, the

'Ovalve may be'considered vas being tubular and as carrying the flexible iliange and therefore the termsn valve and seat are Aused interchangeably inl the claims. Such an arrangement is" dex picted in F'igfd wherein the thermostatic bellows 65v`9b carries a cupped member dfpositined'for" receiving or lpassing overthe xed valve or "stem Ib. Thev channeled rubber seat 18h has its outerA harige-resting upon ashoulder Mb where it iis held Yby a'split retaining ring 29o. The bellows:y

"is carried by a casing or cover 52h which is suitably sealed and may, be adjustably threaded ontofthe valve Achambery 50, theextent of adjustmentbeing determined by the aid of apointer; :24,617 and a,stopf41b. ,I The uid temperature acting upon Vthe bellows 9b Will'cause the 'seat (or 'Inlieu ofthe cam adjustments of Figsl and 2,

adj ustment' ofthe pressure, a lvalvi'ng member arranged in` the i' chamber between the outlet and the seat and' movable normally into the cylindrical ilange toward'the inlet with a conforming fit rto arrest luid flow while being free to move further into the'ange to find new sealing engagement therewith, an adjustable support on which the valving member is mounted for such movement, and4 a thermostatic member carried by the support for bodily adjustment with the valving member while maintaining a fixed thermal response for reacting upon the valving member tomove the latter into the flange.

9. A thermostatic valve comprising a chamber having aninlet and an outlet with an internal shoulder therebetween, an elastic seat on the shoulder, a valving -member arranged in the chamber between the outlet and the seat and movable into flow arresting contact with the seat while being -ree to move further vinto the seat throughwear, an adjustable support on Awhich the valving member is mounted for such movement, a thermostatic member carried by `the support' for bodily adjustment with the valving member While maintaining a fixed thermal response for reacting upon the valving member to move the latter into theflange, said two members being carried by the support for bodily adjustment therewith as a unit, and means adjusting the support for setting the valving member to und a new point of sealing contact on the seat.

10. A thermostatic valve comprising a chainber having an inlet and an outlet with an internal shoulder therebetween, a rubber-like seat clamped upon theshoulder and being in the form the seat and movable normally into the cylindrical flange toward the inlet with a conforming t to arrest fluid flow while being free to move further into the flange abnormally, an adjustable support on which the valving member is mounted for such movement, and a thermostatic membercarried by the support for bodily adjustmentvwith the valving memberV while maintaining a fixed thermalresponse for reacting upon the valving member to move the latter into the ange, the valving member being free to pass entirely through the seat forming flange.

1l. A valve comprising a chamber having an inlet and an outlet with an internal shoulder therebetween, a rubber-like seat clamped upon the shoulder and being in the form of a cylindrical ila-nge depending from the shoulder toward the inlet for sealing movement in response to the inlet pressure,l a valving member arranged in the chamber between the outlet and the seat and movable'normally into the' cylindrical flange toward the inlet with a conforming t to arrest fluid flow while being free to move further into the ange abnormally, an adjustable support on which the valving member is mounted for such movement and a shape retaining ring supporting the free end of the'flange against collapse.'

12. Avalve comprising a chamber having an inlet and an outlet with an internal shoulder therebetween, a rubber-like seat clamped upon theshoulder and being in the form of a cylindrical flange depending from the shoulder toward the inlet for Sealing'. movement in response Vto' the inlet pressure, a valving member arranged in the chamber between the outlet and the seat and movable normally into the cylindrical flange toward the inlet with a conforming iit to arrest fluid flow while being free to move further into the ange subsequent tothe arrest of now, and a shape retaining ring embedded in the free end of the flange and acting to support the free end of the ange against collapse when the valving member is withdrawn. I

13. A thermostatic valve having a chamber with an inlet and an outlet, a substantially cylindrical seat through which fluid iiows from the inlet to the outlet, a valving member slidable into the seat to a greaterY or lesser extent with a conforming now-arresting nt and having a limited drift movement while in its closed position, and a thermostat fixedly related Vand operatively connected to the valving member'for normally moving the same into the seat suiliciently to arrest the fluid flow therethrough while being free to impart drift movement to, the member in accommodation of the temperature fluctuations.

14. A thermostatic valve having an inlet and an outlet' with an interposed seat member, av

valve member, one of said members having an annular flexible ange responsive to the inlet pressure when the valve is closed and receiving the companion member for relative sliding movement therein, and thermostatic means connected to the movable one of said members for moving it into and out of valving relation with the other member. Y Y

15. A thermostatic valve having a chamber with an inlet and an outlet, a seat memberinterposed `between the inlet and outlet, a valving member cooperating with the seat, and thermostatic means connected to the movable one of said members for moving the same with respect to the companion member for opening and closing communication between theinlet and the outlet, one of said members having an annular elastic ange anchored at one end to slidably receive the other member in valving relation, the opposite end of the flange being open to the inlet pressure for being flexed thereby to sealthe communication between the inlet and the outlet to iiuid flow while permitting thermostatic movement of the valve beyond an initial communication closing position.

HERBERT TOMOSER.

REFERENCES CITEDv The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

